Class Registration

Thank you for your interest in continuing education at the Morris Arboretum!

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Quantity and Pricing

Birding at the Arboretum: Local Hotspot Session 2

Ruth Pfeffer
Expert Birder and Trip Leader

Join Ruth and explore some of the hotspots for birds at the Morris Arboretum. We will visit the Arboretum’s natural areas including wetlands, meadows, and the woodlands along the Wissahickon Creek. These areas provide great habitat for a wide variety of birds year-round. We will see resident birds as well as migrating raptors, sparrows, and warblers. If time permits, we will also have a chance to look for birds on the tree canopy exhibit, Out on a Limb, which provides us with a great vantage point for viewing birds at treetop level. These sessions are for beginning or experienced bird watchers.

Bring your binoculars. Park in the meadow next to the Arboretum entrance kiosk and meet Ruth there. You may sign up for one, two, or all three sessions.

Session 2: Saturday, September 23, 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Members: $25 for each session
Non-members: $30 for each session

Saturday, September 23, 2017 at 8:00 AM

Member

Attendees: 1

$ 25.00 ea.

Non-Member

Attendees: 1

$ 30.00 ea.

Fall Birding in Cumberland County, New Jersey

Ruth Pfeffer
Expert Birder and Trip Leader

On this New Jersey adventure we will bird at some great spots along the scenic Delaware Bay. We hope to see early migrating ducks, wading birds and shore birds, and late migrating warblers. We will visit Turkey Point, a pristine salt marsh with wooded hummocks and forest edges that supply raptors with multiple perches from which to scan the marsh for prey. Bald eagles can be seen here and several pairs nest in the area. We will stop and walk the boardwalks in Bivalve that have great bird habitats with 4,200 acres of forested uplands, brushy edges, crop fields, and wetlands. We will bird along Matt’s Landing Road that leads into the Heislerville Wildlife Management Area. This area offers scenic views of the Maurice River and has large mudflats that provide varied habitat for wading birds, shorebirds, and waterfowl. We also plan to visit East Point Lighthouse, located in a picturesque setting on the shore of Delaware Bay, marking the mouth of the Maurice River.

Meet at the Arboretum and travel by van. Bring your binoculars, lunch, and something to drink.

Tuesday, September 26
7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at 7:30 AM

Member

Attendees: 1

$ 85.00 ea.

Non-Member

Attendees: 1

$ 90.00 ea.

Introduction to Birding (Ages 7 and up) (Class is Full)

Ruth Pfeffer
Expert Birder and Trip Leader

Join us for a birding adventure around the Morris Arboretum as we explore different habitats looking for birds. Our three-class adventure will be at a new site each time (wetlands, Bloomfield Farm, and Out on A Limb) where we will see a variety of fall migrating birds and birds that make the Arboretum their home. A short presentation will take place at the end of each class with photos of Ruth’s birding adventures around the Arboretum. These classes are for kids who are or might be interested in birding and are a great way to share your love of birding with your children or grandchildren. Please be sure to wear comfortable shoes as walking will be required and dress for the weather.
Binoculars and field guides will be available to borrow, but feel free to bring your own. First session will meet at the wetlands. Please park in the meadow to the left of the entrance kiosk and meet Ruth there.

Three Sundays: October 1, November 5 , December 3
9 am - 11 am

Classes scheduled on the 1st Sunday of every month starting 10/1/2017 and ending 12/3/2017 at 9:00AM

Member

Attendees: 1

$ 45.00 ea.

Non-Member

Attendees: 1

$ 60.00 ea.

Cape May Point Birding Adventure

Ruth Pfeffer
Expert Birder and Trip Leader

We will bird at Cape May Point during the height of the fall migration where we will see a variety of hawks, shorebirds, land birds, and waterfowl. The Point’s unique location makes it one of the best birding spots in North America. It is on the Atlantic Flyway, the migration pathway for bird populations passing through the state as they head south in the fall or north in the spring. New Jersey’s latitude puts it about midway between the equator and the northern forests of the Arctic and makes it a prime stopping point for migrating birds.

We will meet at the Arboretum and travel by van. Please park in the meadow next to the Arboretum entrance kiosk. Bring your lunch, something to drink, and binoculars. Please dress for the weather.

The Andorra Natural Area includes one of the largest areas of forest and meadow habitat in the Fairmount Park system. In recent years, much of the area has been restored by Fairmount Park to re-establish native plant communities and expand the amount of early successional habitats. Today, this picturesque birding hotspot supports a large variety of breeding and wintering birds, but it attracts an even larger number of bird species during migration. We will visit the area to look for migrating land birds during the fall migration. Various species of warblers, vireos, thrushes, flycatchers, sparrows, and other land birds are expected. Rarities are possible.

We will meet at the Andorra Natural Area’s main parking lot at the end of West Northwestern Avenue. This lot can only be reached from Ridge Avenue. From Ridge Avenue drive north along West Northwestern Avenue for about two thirds of a mile until it dead ends and you reach Wissahickon Environmental Center Parking Area 1 on the right.

Saturday, October 14
8:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 8:30 AM

Member

Attendees: 1

$ 25.00 ea.

Non-Member

Attendees: 1

$ 30.00 ea.

Birding at the Arboretum: Local Hotspot Session 3

Ruth Pfeffer
Expert Birder and Trip Leader

Join Ruth and explore some of the hotspots for birds at the Morris Arboretum. We will visit the Arboretum’s natural areas including wetlands, meadows, and the woodlands along the Wissahickon Creek. These areas provide great habitat for a wide variety of birds year-round. We will see resident birds as well as migrating raptors, sparrows, and warblers. If time permits, we will also have a chance to look for birds on the tree canopy exhibit, Out on a Limb, which provides us with a great vantage point for viewing birds at treetop level. These sessions are for beginning or experienced bird watchers.

Bring your binoculars. Park in the meadow next to the Arboretum entrance kiosk and meet Ruth there. You may sign up for one, two, or all three sessions.

Session 3: Thursday, October 19, 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Members: $25 for each session
Non-members: $30 for each session

Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 8:00 AM

Member

Attendees: 1

$ 25.00 ea.

Non-Member

Attendees: 1

$ 30.00 ea.

Eastern Shore Birding Adventure

Ruth Pfeffer
Expert Birder and Trip Leader

Join us for a three-day birding adventure to the eastern shore of Maryland. Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, located at the confluence of the Chester River and the Chesapeake Bay is one of our primary destinations. This 2,285-acre island refuge is a major feeding and resting place for migrating and wintering waterfowl. More than 100,000 ducks, geese, and swans seek sanctuary here, as do migrating and breeding songbirds and shorebirds. Nesting bald eagles can be found here. We also plan to stop at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, a 10,144 acre refuge on the west shore of the Delaware Bay that is an important stopover site for birds as they travel up and down the Atlantic Flyway. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge that protects one of the largest remaining expanses of tidal salt marsh in the mid-Atlantic region will also be one of our stops. The refuge is mostly marsh, but also includes freshwater impoundments and upland habitats. We will stay in Chestertown, Maryland and visit Rock Hall, a quaint fishing town that traces its history to the early 1700s.

The trip includes van transportation, hotel, and an expert guide. Bring lunches. Breakfast is
included. Dinners are not included.

We will meet at the Morris Arboretum to leave. Park in the meadow next to the kiosk.
A "what to bring" list will be supplied.

There is nothing as beautiful as huge flocks of white snow geese in flight! Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge supports the largest concentration of wintering snow geese in the continental U.S. Bombay Hook, located on the Delaware Bay near Smyrna, Delaware is nearly 16,000 acres in size and includes pristine tidal salt marshes, freshwater impoundments, croplands, and woodlands. November is the peak of fall waterfowl migration. In addition to snow geese, we may see gadwall, black duck, pintail, American widgeon, wood duck, northern shoveler, blue-winged and green-winged teal, scaup, bufflehead, ruddy duck, red-breasted and hooded merganser. We may also see bald eagles, which are known to nest at the refuge. Ruth will supply field guides and a spotting scope.

Bring binoculars, lunch, and a drink, and dress for the weather.

We will meet at the Arboretum and travel by small bus or van. Park in the meadow next to the entrance kiosk.

Wednesday, November 8
7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 08, 2017 at 7:30 AM

Member

Attendees: 1

$ 90.00 ea.

Non-Member

Attendees: 1

$ 95.00 ea.

Bald Eagles at the Conowingo Dam

Ruth Pfeffer
Expert Birder and Trip Leader

Join us for a day of birding at the Conowingo Dam, a prime spot for viewing bald eagles as they feed on fish coming over the dam. These are magnificent birds and a thrill to see. We will also see lots of great blue herons, gulls, and other raptors. The Conowingo Dam is located on the Susquehanna River on the Pennsylvania-Maryland border. It is one of the nation’s largest nonfederal, hydroelectric installations, and is a great birding area any time of year because of its close proximity to the Delaware Bay. We will walk on a woodland trail along the river, and visit the historic town of Port Deposit, MD.